


Purple Ties and Granted Wishes

by Hekate1308



Series: Excerpts From My Mind [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Castiel, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Regency, F/M, M/M, Omega Dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-03
Updated: 2016-03-03
Packaged: 2018-05-24 11:06:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6151648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hekate1308/pseuds/Hekate1308
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean was content with his life as a spinster omega. Then Captain Castiel Novak arrived in the neighbourhood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Purple Ties and Granted Wishes

**Author's Note:**

> Decided to put my tumblr fics up as a series, rather than one big post so people know what they're getting into. Enjoy!

“Thank you, dear.”

Dean smiles at Mrs. Leeds as he is supposed to as the polite spinster omega he is. That’s all he does during balls these days: pour out tea, look after children if there are any. Be the shadow on the wall, so that no one remembers the Winchester son who was born wrong.

Until his presentation when he was seventeen, he and everyone he knew believed he’d be an alpha. He wasn’t, and suddenly he had to smile and be nice and pleasant and wait for a proper mate to court him while Sam was treated as the older son and heir.

He bears Sam no ill will. He loves both him and his mate Jessica (née Moore; their father had been incredibly happy about the advantageous union) dearly, and thankfully they feel the same, so that when his father finally gave up on Dean’s thirty-second birthday and told him that he might wear a purple tie if he wished, the sign that an omega considers oneself too old to be courted, he could come to live with them to avoid his father’s disappointed stares.

Dean didn’t really want to exchange his ties then. But he had to be realistic. Even with seventeen, his stature and looks very much like those of an alpha, he knew he would likely never find a mate; and over the seasons, his hope dwindled more and more until he admitted the truth. There’d never be anyone interested in him beyond a few dances and a passing flirtation. 

And he was resigned. He might not have been completely happy, sometimes he might even have envied Sam and Jess the love that he would never experience, but he was content. 

And then the arrival of peace brought an old acquaintance of Jess’ family into the neighbourhood.

Captain Castiel Novak. The youngest son of an earl and therefore wealthy. Handsome, even dashing. Forty years old and considered to be at an ideal age for mating (because naturally Alphas are supposed to have fun before they mate. Sam and Jess caused something of an uproar when they started courting in their early twenties). 

And, although no one knows this and no one ever will, the one alpha whose company Dean will ever crave. Company because he doesn’t allow himself to dwell on other impossible desires. 

When Cas - he only calls him that in his head, naturally, he mustn’t give alphas nicknames, just as he mustn’t talk to alphas or disobey alphas - first called on Jess, she was delighted. They had played together as children, before their presentations. And he was one of the few guests who spoke to Dean, actually spoke to him, when he saw him reading a novel and inquired whether he often read works like that. When Dean admitted he did, he was surprised to find Cas did too. 

Ever since then, they have been talking quite a lot. Jess is currently with her first child, and Cas, out of concern (he admitted eventually to Dean that his mother died when birthing him) for his friend, has since been calling on them on an almost daily basis. When Jess feels she’s too unwell to talk or entertain a guest, it’s Dean duties to look after them, so they have spent quite some time alone. They’ve even gone for rides together, and one time, when Sam didn’t want to go, Cas escorted him to the theatre, staying by his side the whole evening. 

Sometimes, Dean thinks this must be what being courted feels like, although he knows it’s not that. He’s wearing a purple tie, he has given up any right to such an expectation. Cas is simply being thoughtful. 

Still, now and then he indulged the thoughts a little because as soon as Cas is mated, he’ll sink back into the background. 

But perhaps they’ll still be friends. He’s thirty-seven, far too old to be considered a danger by anyone, least of all Meg Demsey and Lilith Saville, the two eighteen-year-old omegas who have been very publicy been fighting for Cas’ affections since he arrived. Dean thinks he might like Meg a little bit more, but they have never spoken about it. 

Right now, Cas is dancing with Lilith, making polite conversation. It has been over five years since Dean’s last dance, and he certainly will never be led across the floor again, but he can’t help but observe the beautiful captain. 

He just hopes that whatever omega he chooses, they know how lucky they are. 

“They make a handsome couple” Mrs. Leeds observes and Dean swallows. 

“They do” he says quickly, telling himself that it is ridiculous to feel jealous.

There’s something like pity in her eyes as she answers, “I don’t think Captain Novak is particularly fond of Miss Saville though. Or Miss Demsey, for that matter”. 

“I don’t presume to know” he replied. “I’m sure that Captain Novak’s choice will ultimately be the best suited for him.”

“If you say so” she replies cryptically. 

He forces himself to look away from Cas and focuses on Sam and Jess, who are sitting in a corner. He watches them laugh together and something in him pounds painfully once more at the realization that he’ll never be a mate and a father. He’ll always be this, the spinster, the brother, the uncle. He’ll never be more to anyone. 

He’s surprised when suddenly a deep voice adresses him. 

“You don’t dance, Mr. Winchester?”

He looks up at Cas and snorts. It’s been happening more and more with the captain, the old Dean who thought he’d be an alpha shining through, and it’s worrying him. He has to get this under control before rumours start to fly around. 

“No.” he indicates his tie. “My dancing days are over.”

“I never saw you dance.”

“You were fighting a war; sacrifices had to be made.”

“I’m sure it was a great sacrifice.”

He doesn’t know what to say to that. Nor does he know what to do when Cas extends a hand towards him.

“Would you do me the honour of the last dance of the evening, Mr. Winchester?”

He shouldn’t. He knows he shouldn’t. But it’s been so long since he’s been asked to by anyone, and it’s the only chance he’ll ever have to be as close to Cas, so he accepts. 

He avoids Sam’s eyes as the captain leads him across the floor, although he does catch a strange knowing smile of Mrs. Leeds’; he avoids anyone’s eyes during the dance, focusing on his partner and their conversation, as always flowing easily between them.

Cas stays close to him afterwards and hands him in the coach. Dean looks out of the window and hopes his brother won’t adress it. No such luck. 

“Captain Novak seems fond of you” he comments.

“We’re friends” Dean replies courtly.

“Are you sure? Because we have been friends for a long time, and he’s never looked at me the way he looks at you” Jess says and Dean observes her, glowing and happy for a second to remind himself of who he is and who Cas is, before he answers simply, “That’s because he doesn’t pity you.”

Her face falls. “It’s not pity - “

“It is. I’m thirty-seven, and it was always uncertain whether I could bear children or not. Not that it matters now. No one would ever consider courting me, least of all Captain Novak.”

That ends the discussion. 

Later, in his room, he opens a file of his drawer he hasn’t touched in five years and looks at the green tie that used to be his favourite. Then he closes the drawer very firmly and tells himself that impossible dreams don’t come true, no matter how beautiful Cas’ eyes sparkle in candle light. 

Cas keeps calling even more insistently after that evening, and it seems that he’s as eager to see Dean as he is to see Jess, which the omega learns because he tries to excuse himself several times (there’s no point in indulging anymore. He’s on the brink of something dangerous, and he doesn’t want to carry a broken heart as well as unfulfilled dreams) and Cas looks just too sad for him to leave the room. 

He’s conctantly invited to dinner too, and sometimes he wonders if it would be fair to Jess to ask her to keep her childhood friend at a distance. He decides that he has no right to do so. It’s his own annoying heart that keeps beating faster when Cas is in the room, he won’t spoil her dinner parties. 

It’s on another one of those that everything changes. After dinner, Dean politely declines an offer to make up Mrs. Leeds card table and strolls out on the terrace, as he’s wont to do. No one misses him when he takes five minutes to breathe now and then. 

Especially not since Jess had to invite the Misses Saville and Demsey as well and they’re hogging Cas’ attention. 

His heart beats painfully in his chest as he takes a few deep breaths. He’s wearing a blue tie tonight, a stupid indulgence he hoped would bring a smile to Cas’ face, but they haven’t exchanged a word since he greeted the captain as he entered the house.

Dean is a hopeless old spinster, and he will never be anything else. 

“Hello, Dean.”

He jumps and turns around to see Cas. He must have imagined the greeting. The captain would never presume to call him by his first name. That’s for family and mates only. 

“Captain Novak.”

“Mrs. Leeds told me you were here.”

Dean wonders why this woman is so obsessed with him. 

“I needed some fresh air” he says, contemplating his escape before Cas realizes - 

But his eyes are already lingering on Dean’s tie. He blushes. 

“It suits you.”

Dean hasn’t received a compliment since he turned thirty. 

“Although I think a green one would compliment your eyes more.”

Why is Cas talking about his tie? And why, for that matter, does he sound nervous? He’s never nervous. He survived a war. 

“I like blue better” he replies stubbornly, and now a small pleased smile appears on Cas face, and he’s almost too beautiful to look at.

Dean wonders if he wants to talk about Meg or Lilith. And unplesant feeling rises in his chest, but he’s determined to stand his ground. He can be a good friend.

“Mr. Winchester, Dean, I - “ Cas brokes of and huffs, frustrated.

“This is far more difficult than I imagined.”

“What is?” he asks, confused. 

He’s even more confused when Cas drops to his knees. 

No. He can’t. This is impossible, this is - 

“Dean Winchester. Would you do me the honour of being my mate?”

It is. Cas is _proposing to him_.

Captain Castiel Novak. Proposing. To Dean Winchester.

When he’s silent for too long, Cas swallows, gets up and begins to apologize, but by that time, Dean has gathered his wits and shouts “YES!” before drawing him in a kiss like the alpha he was raised to be, not the omega he should be, but based on Cas’ enthusiastic response, he doesn’t mind. 

When they enter the salon later, hands joined and both slightly dishevelled, Mrs. Leeds grins at them and Cas clears his throat before announcing loudly, “Mr. Winchester, in the absence of your father I would like to ask you for your brother’s hand.”

And Sam, disregarding Meg’s and Lilith’s astonished and dismayed expressions, grins just as knowingly as Mrs. Leeds did a second ago.

Dean is going to kill him.

After he and Cas are mated, of course. He’s not going to let him get away.


End file.
